Children at the bedside: Preparing children for the death of someone close to them

Supporting children and youth who are experiencing the dying of someone close to them is a challenging experience across all disciplines, even for the most skilled professional. There is a growing body of research encouraging authenticity, honesty and inclusion of children experiencing a death. Yet too often children and youth remain excluded from the experience of illness, dying and death, leading to a sense of alienation for the child and a missed opportunity for their growth and connection. In our intent of protecting, we often unintentionally unplug the child from relationships both prematurely and unnaturally.

This training will use real-life and real-death narratives to identify practical strategies that can support children and youth who are experiencing the impending death of someone in their lives.

Learning objectives:

• The roots of our societal discomfort with the topic of children and death.
• Myths and misconceptions that create barriers to including children at the bedside of someone who is dying.
• Practical strategies and creative approaches for preparing children for a death, including a death through medical assistance in dying (MAID).
• Literary, web, and local resources for supporting children who are experiencing the dying of someone close to them.

Please note: This webinar is module 1 of the Children’s grief and bereavement certificate program; however, participants can also register for it as a stand-alone training to enhance their skills in supporting grieving children and families.